The Philadelphia Daily News doesn't like Sidney Crosby. Before Wednesday night's Game 4 of the series between the Flyers and Crosby's Pittsburgh Penguins, the tabloid photoshopped Crosby in a lion suit behind the headline "The Cowardly Penguin: Time to finish off Sniveling Sidney."

“That’s one of the nicer things they’ve said about me here,” Crosby said.

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Crosby and the Penguins are facing elimination Wednesday night after a Game 3 meltdown that led to three Penguins suspensions. The captain was actively involved in the extracurriculars, igniting a round of fights by pushing Jakub Voracek's glove away from the Flyers winger and, later, starting a scrap with Scott Hartnell that teammate Craig Adams finished—and was subsequently suspended for.

By Wednesday morning, he said he was focused on the task at hand; digging out of a 3-0 deficit.

"I don't think there is really anything that needs to be said," Crosby told reporters. "We've had a couple of days to digest everything. We've talked as a group about what we need to do better and where our game is, that kind of thing. Now we have to go out and play."

Wayne Gretzky, in an appearance on a Philadelphia radio station, wasn't interested in condemning Crosby for what happened in Game 3.

"Whether it was Wayne Gretzky going into Philadelphia or Mario Lemieux or Sidney Crosby, you’re going to be Public Enemy No. 1, and the players are going to do whatever they can to throw you off your game," Gretzky told 97.5 The Fanatic on Wednesday.

"He’s a tough kid that plays the game hard and emotions run high. And I’m not surprised—he just wants to be a winner and he wants to put his name back on the Stanley Cup, so emotions do run high.”

Gretzky also said emotions and high stakes were at play regarding the outbreak of illegal hits in the playoffs, but noted that there was more to the change than simply that.

"They talk about the Flyers back in the ‘70s—guys like Bobby Kelly, Moose Dupont and Dave Shultz—but you never really saw those guys go after guys like Bobby Orr or Mario Lemieux or Phil Esposito. It was just sort of honest, hard, rough-nosed hockey, and it’s changed—there’s no question."

Whatever the cause, Pittsburgh has paid the price—for at least a game. Wingers James Neal, Arron Asham and Adams all were suspended for their actions, and defenseman Paul Martin is out with an injury apparently sustained when Philadelphia forward Brayden Schenn charged him.

Joe Vitale, Eric Tangradi and Dustin Jeffrey will take the place of the three forwards; Simon Despres will replace Martin.

The Flyers didn't have much to say about the suspensions.

"It is what it is," Danny Briere said. "I can't change anything about that. (Coach Peter Laviolette) told us that, suspension or not, it would be irrelevant to the game and I truly believe that. These guys have their backs to the walls so I expect them to play with a lot of desperation and that's why we have to be ready and leave it out all there tonight if we want to clinch."